The Washington Commanders are headed to the NFC Championship game next weekend after defeating the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs. The last time they made it this far, the Commanders won the Super Bowl in 1991. The last time they even played in the divisional round was in 1999, so it’s safe to say that things are going well in Washington this year.
Against the Lions, the Commanders did everything they needed to do. They took the ball away, put points on the board, and found the plays that worked. They stopped the Lions’ dynamic offense, something only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills accomplished this season. Let’s take a look at the snap counts that contributed to the Commanders’ win over the Lions on Saturday.
Offensive snaps: 75
Defensive snaps: 69
Special Teams snaps: 29
As is standard, the line and Jayden Daniels played 100% of the snaps, with Sam Cosmi and Trent Scott sharing time at right guard. Cosmi departed the game in the first half with a knee injury and did not return. Outside of that, there was a good amount of rotation on the offense as the Commanders worked to move the ball down the field, which they did successfully.
Only Jeremy Chinn and Bobby Wagner played 100% of the snaps on the defensive side of the ball. There was much more rotation on defense as the Commanders did everything they could to slow down the Lions’ explosive offense. And their game plan worked as the defense recorded five takeaways and put their own points on the board.
The Commanders will next face either the Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams next Saturday, whichever team wins Sunday’s NFC divisional round game.